What is the best turn based 4x space game?

Should I get endless space? I just got Galactic Civ 2 Ultimate and Sins of a Solar Empire Trinity in the steam sale but haven't played either yetOr is their another out there?Looking for something that is addictive and fun---360 GT: FiendishFiendSteam: Spidey555

I've played several TBS and real-time 4X space games. MOO 2 is the all-time classic, Gal Civ was very good as was it's sequel. Of the more current games, Endless Space is very good with a broad array of research tech and easy ship design and update process. It's a bit more limited in actual combat compared to MOO 2 or even the iPad game Starbase Orion, since you can only select "cards" to tell your fleet what to do and you can't even select the fleet you want to attack. It is fun to watch your ships duke it out though and the cards may help make up for AI which is never too challenging. The game also allows the AI to cheat and move during your turn which I find annoying.

If you want to wait, Legends of Pegasus is coming out on Aug 10, otherwise Endless Space is a fun game with some caveats. Maybe patches will improve it further but it's still the best new game out there. Other than the visual and interface, MOO 2 is still the king of this genre.

While MoO2 is still a great game, I don't think it's the best anymore because there's way too many severe balance issues that hamper the fun (creative trait, easily abused ship customization, etc.). IMO, Sword of the Stars is the best 4x space game out there (the original, not the sequel). What it lacks in planetary construction options it more than makes up for with its amazing ship customization, combat system, and tech tree.

check out Distant Worlds and its expansion DW: legends. On spacesector.com it was given a 9.4 and the reviewer who plays all and any 4x TBS RTS space games said that DW: legends in his opinion is the best game in this genre currently.

There is also StarDrive that isn't announced for release but is being worked on intensely and looks like it picks up the best stuff from every other game. planet bombardments FTW---Kids are great, until they punch someone in the bum when they are bending over.

I don't what the "best" 4x sci-fi one is, but, here's what some of them are like:

Moo1/2

Old but very good games; these are the games that birthed the genre; combat is TB on a 2D grid

MOO games (NOT MOO 3!!! THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MOO 3!!!! IT WAS A COLLECTIVE NIGHTMARE!!!) are the most robust and interesting in many ways. They have the best races, the best race creator, and the most widely varying set of techs (black hole creators, cloaking devices, combat has ship boarding, etc.), and have different political structures for different races (feudal, imperial, federated, hive, and so on). But it has balance issues.

GalCiv 2

Similar to MOO games, but not as detailed, not as interesting in the tech dept, is not as robust in several ways; combat is 100% abstracted rock, paper, scissors..basically all combat is auto mode

GalCiv 2 is MOO-like in the empire building part, and also has the ability to make various types of space stations, but tech is boring, there are no political systems like in MOO, races are not that interesting or unique, space combat is is an auto button click.

SoTS 1 (Sword of the Stars)

This game is almost purely dedicated to spaceship combat; there is some focus on ecenomy, but it's scant. Combat is RT

SoTS 1 has great combat, but it's limited compared to MOO in what can be done. But what can be done is well designed in the game. You can't make custom races, and if you like to build your empire's economy, there's not much to do in that regard compared to other games.

SoTS2

Just no..it's in alpha, don't touch it for a couple years

Legends of Pegasus

Also in alpha stage, it needs another year or more, perhaps

Endles Space

MOO-like, but not nearly as robust; some aspects are abstracted; no intelligence agency, but there is diplomacy; combat is auto mode with certain actions you can choose during one of three combat phases, similar to clicking on cards, youtube it to see what I mean, but it's basically auto mode, by and large

The races and race maker are not as good as MOO, combat is basically non-existent, really, but there's more to it that GALCiv 2's auto-mode-only. The devs want to add espionage later on. I'd say this game is decent, and a good choice if you want a more aesthetically pleasing looking 4x game

There are some other 4x sci-fi games out there, but they're not very good. I'd stick with the ones mentioned above. MOO1 and 2 are cheap on GOG.com, GalCiv 2 can be bought directly from Stardock, or via other digital distributors. ES is a Steamworks game (requires Steam) so you might as well buy it through Steam.---It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. ...one begins to twist facts to suit theories.... Sir Arthur Conan Doyle